The Expected is Still Unexpected

On July 28th, at 1:00 am in the morning my phone rang, it was the hospice nurse informing me that Mom had died at 12:28 a

Mom and her skydiving team – Frances, Jeff and Elizabeth

And yes, our hospice nurse had prepared us for this . . . he said as nicely as he could that she was “leaving”, that “it was time” . . . using gentle words to describe death. Still, when the call came early Friday morning I wasn’t’t “prepared.” Why? Because no one ever is.

As you know if you’ve been reading my columns, the family had done all we could to prepare for death. So the lesson learned was PREPLAN. My brother and I had hired a funeral home which allowed us to make our father the focus of our lives in the the immediate days after his partner of 63 years died. He insisted on seeing her one last time, my brother called the funeral home and they prepared her for Dad’s visit. My father insisted on a small, familial memorial service — not a problem, we focused on the service and the reception after. Caterers were hired, programs were printed and music abounded.

And yes, all this costs money but there was no “guilt money”. We knew what we could spend and had done all the budgeting when hiring our funeral home. In fact, we told the director that when Dad dies he wants his ashes placed in a military cemetery in Ft. Worth, TX – next to one of his best friends, our cousin General Akin, “so they can pal around.” The funeral home takes care of that, as well.

So, yes it all worked to our benefit. Mom was cremated, some of her ashes placed in the ground at the nearby churchyard and the rest to be mixed with Dad’s when we take them to their final resting place. What doesn’t go away, nor should it, is the grief. it comes in waves. At the service when I spoke I didn’t shed a tear. Two days later, telling a ‘stranger’ the story, my eyes welled with tears.

Grief counselors tell you this is what happens. I was shocked at myself, I knew Mom was close to death but when the finality happens it hits hard! We even had time for last rites, last songs, last moments . . . but death is final and no amount of preparation prepares you for it.

Revel in the memories, think of the good times and admire your loved ones for all they accomplished . . . including you! Yes, they do live on in our hearts.